2026 was a season to remember for the New York Knicks, with the iconic franchise winning its first NBA championship in half a century.
As a welcome consequence of the title run, it was also a particularly long season for New York, stretching from October to mid-June. So when the offseason finally arrived, with a championship to celebrate, it was a safe bet the Knicks would make the most of it.
Make the most of it they did. From a euphoric Manhattan parade to "Saturday Night Live," the Knicks had one of the most memorable NBA offseasons in recent memory.
With New York's next regular season starting Tuesday, here's a look back at what the defending champions got up to over the summer.
A long-awaited parade
A unique quirk in New York City history meant that while the Knicks have won three NBA titles, the team had never had a ticker-tape parade. That changed in June, when the 2026 Knicks got their trip down the city's streets.
Unsurprisingly, it was a raucous event. Fans from across the New York metropolitan area flocked to the city well before sunrise to line up for a spot along the route, and attendance reached capacity three hours before the parade's scheduled start. Once the parade did get underway, it was one to remember, featuring a case of mistaken identity for Tyler Kolek, celebrity cameos and chants of "MVP" for the New York City Department of Sanitation.
Karl-Anthony Towns ties the knot
One Knicks star had some particularly important personal business to attend to over the offseason break.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who had proposed on Christmas Day the year prior, said "I do" with his now-wife, Jordyn Woods. The guest list for the star-studded couple's wedding was unsurprisingly packed -- in addition to Towns' New York teammates, Michael B. Jordan and Justin and Hailey Bieber were both reportedly in Malibu for the occasion.
Jalen Brunson hosts SNL
Season 52 of "Saturday Night Live" opened in September with a host familiar to city sports fans (and probably non-sports fans, too, at this point): star point guard Jalen Brunson.
But while Brunson was the host and guest actor in that night's skits, he wasn't alone in representing the team -- Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were all in the audience for his monologue, with Brunson bantering with his teammates before they eventually joined him on stage at the segment's conclusion.
World Cup appearances
Beyond the NBA Finals, the FIFA World Cup was another event taking the world by storm, and it was part of the Knicks' championship tour.
Accessorized in sunglasses, Hart, Bridges and Anunoby sat in the New York Jets' suite at New York/New Jersey Stadium for France's match against Senegal just days after their win. When the trio appeared on the jumbotron, the stadium roared as Bridges pointed to his "New York" Knicks wordmarked hat. Hart was also on hand for England's win over Norway.
The Knicks ... they went international with it.
A night at the ESPYS
With the ESPYS in New York City months after their championship, it was only right the Knicks took home multiple awards in a handful of categories. Overall, the Knicks won the award for Best Team, while Brunson won three ESPYs for Best Male Athlete, Best NBA Player and Best Championship Performance for his 45-point Game 5 outing.
Anunoby took home the ESPY for Best Play for his final second tip-in at the end of Game 4, which sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.
Knicks go Hollywood
Perhaps Brunson wanted more than "Saturday Night Live." The 6-foot-2 guard also put on his acting mask for a special guest appearance on "Law & Order: SVU," which is scheduled to air on Nov. 5. While his role wasn't revealed, cameras caught Brunson on set, police badge and all.
READ MORE: Jalen Brunson to guest star on "Law & Order: SVU"
Brunson isn't the only Knicks player to make a cameo on a crime show. Anunoby will also guest star in Season 4 of the CBS hit show "Elsbeth." His role also wasn't revealed. But between Brunson, Anunoby and Towns' cameo in "The Devil Wears Prada 2" alongside Anne Hathaway, who also stamped her Knicks fandom, we wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the future.
Baseball Knicks
There's nothing like being celebrated by one of the biggest brands in baseball. In June, Brunson and Hart threw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the New York Yankees' matchup against the Chicago White Sox -- both at the same time. What a flex, right? Even better: The Yankees won the game 10-5, with 11 strikeouts total.
But that wasn't the end of the Knicks' partnership with the Yankees. In September, the franchise celebrated Hart with a bobblehead night of his own. Hart's figurine wore a white Yankees headband and jersey and carried a basketball, and he also threw out the first pitch for New York's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles.